Hockey / Championship Review: Concordia wins first conference Championship and Hap Cup, outlasting a tenacious DePaul

Championship Review: Concordia wins first conference Championship and Hap Cup, outlasting a tenacious DePaul

Date:  Source: Northern Collegiate Hockey League
Championship - #1 Concordia University WI wins first Hap Cup with defeat of #2 DePaul University:
#1 seeded Concordia University WI and #2 seeded DePaul University came out strong, not a hint that this was their third game in three days. A five minute major on DePaul put the dangerous CUW powerplay unit on the ice at the 5:23 mark of the first period. DePaul was able to kill off the first 3:28 minutes but at 8:51 Easton Williams put back a rebound to give CUW a 1-0 lead. Still on the powerplay Rex Staudacher let loose a wrist shot that made its way through a screen and into the upper right corner of the net at 9:55, increasing the CUW lead to two. DePaul was able to kill off the remainder of the penalty but found themselves in an early hole. At the 13:49 mark three touch passes culminated in an open net opportunity for Billy Paschen, who did not miss, and put DePaul on the scoreboard. Paschen scored his second goal of the game after blocking a CUW outlet pass and taking a shot with his stick between his leg at 16:38. DePaul kept riding the momentum swing and took the lead for the first time at 17:20 when Brock Ash lit the lamp.
 
A one timer by EJ Halleck hit the pipe and looked to be in but was waved off, however, Trenton Sherman was in the right place and able to net the equalizer at 2:06 of the second period. Sherman would hit a streaking Charlie Emme, sitting behind the DePaul defense, who beat Asher Motew five hole to give CUW the lead once again at 3:33. The DePaul offense got their chance at a powerplay at 3:48 but were not able to convert. Emme would draw a penalty shot at 6:06 and beat Motew to give CUW back their two goal advantage. A misplayed outlet pass by DePaul allowed Lucas Krueser to lift a wrist shot into the upper corner at 9:55 to put CUW up 6-3. DePaul kept fighting and converted a 2-on-1 when Helf received a pass back from Paschen to pull them back within two at 12:13. CUW would get their own odd man rush as Emme won a foot race to the puck. Emme then fed a pass to Garrett Wilderman who buried the puck into the back of the net with less than three minutes to go in the second period. At 19:32 DePaul got another powerplay chance.
 
On the powerplay to start the third period, DePaul needed to find a way to finish this one off and use that to fuel a comeback. Unfortunately, DePaul rang two pipes but was not able to score. Then at the 2:41 mark, as he was falling, Lee put a shot towards the net that bounced off a CUW player and made its way across the goal line. It was also during a delayed penalty call on Emme, so the DePaul powerplay got another opportunity. Again, the CUW penalty kill held strong and the score remained 7-5. Chance number three in the period for the DePaul powerplay came at 5:52. CUW would find a second player in the box at 6:33. On the ensuing 5-on-3 Lee would put home a slapper from the top of the right circle to bring DePaul back within one at 6:41 and were still on the powerplay. CUW would kill of the remainder of the penalty to minimize the damage. Krueser would somehow find a way to score goal number eight for CUW as he was falling to the ground, at 8:41. A tripping penalty on Willims put the DePaul powerplay unit back on the ice at 9:41. A pipe once again denied DePaul and they still trailed by two. DePaul would get another crack at 16:17 with CUW going to the box for slashing but were foiled by the post for the fourth time. To get the extra attacker DePaul pulled Motew. However, Krueser would seal the 9-6 victory with an empty netter at 19:36.